growing succulents

[hitbyambulance]

trying to improve my indoor succulent growing skills.

i'm ready to transfer some newly purchased baby plants (a Fenesteria auratiaca, a Titanopsis calcareum and a Pachyveria) to new pots. the advice i've read is to mix cactus/succulent soil (which i have) 50/50 with perlite (which i don't have). i hope this works.

i have an aloe from IKEA purchased last year that is doing pretty well in plain succulent soil.

[hepcat]

I thought you were just exhibiting hubris until I saw the "s" at the end of succulent.

[RMC]

Is this about drugs and I am just too old and unhip to understand it?

[Smoove_B]

From the Latin sucus, or juice. Like an Aloe plant.

EDIT: I was given some type of tiny cactus from a friend as a housewarming present back in 1997 (because I'm a prick). I think I've watered it maybe two dozen times in the last 18 years and that thing is like a foot tall. Amazing plant. I don't know anything about mixing soil or whatever, but I think I replanted it once; I'm convinced it's going to outlive me.

[hepcat]

So if I understand you correctly, a succubus is also a type of plant. Right?

[RMC]

So if I understand you correctly, a succubus is also a type of plant. Right?

Oh this is a sex thing... No surprise that Hepcat is involved, he is one sexy devil.

[Smoove_B]

The internet is telling me that Succubus comes from two Latin words -- to lie under" (sub- "under" + cubāre "to lie in bed"). If you're juicing a succubus, you're doing it wrong.

[hepcat]

Well, so much for the new horror novel I was about to start work on. I highly doubt "Demon Juicer" will have the intended effect after learning a succubus isn't really a possessed, fruit bearing plant.

[Max Peck]

The internet is telling me that Succubus comes from two Latin words -- to lie under" (sub- "under" + cubāre "to lie in bed"). If you're juicing a succubus, you're doing it wrong.

OTOH, if your succubus isn't juicy, you're still doing it wrong.

[KKBlue]

Boys, boys... the poor guy is asking about moisture, let me help out.

The main thing with suckies is not to keep them very moist hence the perlite. No heavy soil like top soil but even regular potting soil will be fine but not ideal. This year when I took succulents out of the purchased pot, they were mixed in with wood chips (not wood shavings) and soil. I split them up pretty good (part of a table decoration design) and still kept some to grow indoors plus gave one of each of the 4 as a gift to my cousin for her outside garden. Currently, two are thriving here at the condo. I have them in regular potting soil, in a pot with drainage holes.

[hitbyambulance]

good advice, and it's not even page 2 yet!

i thought i overwatered the pachyvera yesterday, but it didn't die yet.

[hitbyambulance]

transplanted them from the tiny store plastic containers into a terracotta pot:




i have had very bad luck with the health of the plant after transplanting, so i hope i did better this time. mixed cactus soil with perlite.

question is, do i water them after the transplant? the soil they were growing in was bone-dry.

EDIT:

i read

Water the new transplant daily for three days; then, water every three days for three weeks until the succulent is established.

so i will do that.

i also read

Be very careful not to disturb the roots, and keep as much soil around the roots as possible.

oh no... i tried to fan the roots out...

SECOND EDIT:

now a bunch of sites i'm reading say 'don't water'... after i just did.

[KKBlue]

SECOND EDIT:
now a bunch of sites i'm reading say 'don't water'... after i just did.

Move them into the sun, real sun, and that will help the watering issue.

I sometimes move an indoor plant into the sun which is coming through the window. I figure even if it's for 5 minutes, the plant can enjoy nature and become healthier.

[hitbyambulance]

two of the bottom leaves of the pachyveria (the one on the top right in the second picture) are turning a sickly yellow and sorta shriveling up, like they're soon going to fall off. i just now watered it again (for the first time in a week.)

[hitbyambulance]

is there a general process for regrowing leaves on a stem of a succulent (where the leaves have fallen off due to underwatering)? other than chopping the plant down and trying to let it grow all over again.

[KKBlue]

The part of the leaf that was attached to the stem has the right stuff to root. You could help the situation by putting a little soil over the stub part of the leaf, triggering the life cycle. I’ve seen several potted plants in the store w fallen leaves building new plants.

[hitbyambulance]

The part of the leaf that was attached to the stem has the right stuff to root. You could help the situation by putting a little soil over the stub part of the leaf, triggering the life cycle. I’ve seen several potted plants in the store w fallen leaves building new plants.

ok, that's how to get the fallen leaf to root, but what about the place where the leaf fell from (from the original plant)? a bunch of leaves have fallen off (and they're all shriveled up, so they don't look viable as new starts) and the stem of the original plant is bare - i was wondering if there was a way to get the leaves to re-grow on the original plant.

[Scuzz]

I have a few succulents in my yard. Aloe Vera plants, Chicks and Hens and a few others. I have a Mother-In_laws tongue as well. My problem with in doors plants tends to be over watering. I don't have that problem with plants outdoors.

Oh yea, I have a 40+ year old Christmas Cactus as well.

[Jeff V]

We can't really grow them outdoors, but I disappointed my wife on V-day by not getting her a large aloe vera (which she wished to harvest the leaves in her on-going effort to defeat time). So in retribution, she killed the azalea I bought her.

[KKBlue]

I was wondering if there was a way to get the leaves to re-grow on the original plant.

Gotcha. Had to look up the info. Seems like yes is still the answer. A Steam cutting might force leaves out. This is the way you are looking to propagate.

https://succulentsbox.com/blogs/blog/ti ... d-cuttings

[hitbyambulance]

it looks like on that succulent, where the leaves dried up and fell off, there is new growth at most of these areas! tried to take a photo, but they are very small right now - i'll do so when they've grown more.

[KKBlue]

Plants are amazing! Glad to hear of the awakened life force in your plant! Sometime just recognizing and giving attention is enough magic to spark.

[Scuzz]

I recently tore apart a planter I had that was full of aloe vera. I then transplanted what I thought were the most likely survivors into other places, smaller, pots and a few in a controlled area in a flower bed. It's been a couple weeks now and all of them have taken root. Amazing.

I have tried the same with Chicks & Hens (don't know the technical name for them) and they have all survived, I am even getting flowers from some of them.